Intelection, Inc.
Jeremy Williams
Matt Jackson
Paul Tuason
Adrian Carr
Jeff Woltz
Andy Niepraschk
Abstract
A democracy is only as good as the system used to raise its common citizens into
power. The voting system used by the government today is full of holes. Whether it’s
confusion by voters, cheating from casting multiple votes, voting for others, or just vote
tampering the inaccuracies have to stop. Intelection is the answer to these problems by
using a touch screen interface and many fault checks along the way.
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Table of Contents
Overview…………………………………………………………………………………………………
History of voting……………………………………………………………
Product Overview………………………………………………………………
Competition Matrix…………………………………………………………
Certification Process…………………………………………………
Specification……………………………………………………………………………………
Hardware……………………………………………………………………………………
Software……………………………………………………………………………………
Customer Relations…………………………………………………………
Networking………………………………………………………………………………
Database……………………………………………………………………………………
User Documentation…………………………………………………………
Risks…………………………………………………………………………………………………………
University Coordination…………………………………………………………
Schedule & Milestones………………………………………………………………
Organization………………………………………………………………………………………
Management………………………………………………………………………………
Customer Relations…………………………………………………………
Engineering……………………………………………………………………………
Software Design…………………………………………………………………
Quality Assurance……………………………………………………………
Budget………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Funding……………………………………………………………………………………………………
Resources………………………………………………………………………………………………
About the authors…………………………………………………………………………
Appendix A – Frequently Used Terms……………………………
Appendix B – Interviews…………………………………………………………
Appendix C – Survey Results………………………………………………
Appendix D – Voting Machines in VA……………………………
Appendix E – Functional Diagram……………………………………
Appendix F – PERT chart…………………………………………………………
Appendix G – Organizational Diagram…………………………
Appendix H – Work Breakdown Structure……………………
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Overview
The major problem realized during the year 2000 presidential election was that
the current voting process was prone to cheating. Never before had there been more
accusations that such a high profile election had been tainted through voter fraud. The
recounts were battled over between candidates, by the courts, and even by the vote
counters themselves. There were disputes over chads of all kinds from hanging to
pregnant, and the public heard them all. Once these debates finally subsided complaints
about the complexity of ballots surfaced. Our voting machine addresses these concerns
squarely so that the public can rest assured everyone will be given one voice and one
voice only. Intelection goes one step further to address the concern that cheating has
crept into the voting process. Secure voter identification stations and databases will be
implemented to minimize these concerns. Data will be transmitted over secure,
encrypted lines to reduce the chance of tainted election results.
One problem with the current system comes mainly from fact that the paper
ballots have precut holes that are punched out by a stencil. If a new system were to
implement fresh paper and produce the holes at the time that the vote was cast there could
be no debate over whether the hole was pushed through intentionally or by accident. Our
voting system does just that: a fresh ballot is issued to the voter that will be brought to the
booth. Holes are made corresponding to the candidate selected and can be read through
the existing counting machines.
The issue of security is a little more complicated, but dealt with in a manner as to
also prevent claims of false results. Intellection uses the current voter database in it's
electronic form to verify users. Each eligible voter can be issued one and only one ballot
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with no room for cheating. This ballot is brought to a specially equipped booth where the
vote is cast. The rest of the security takes place over secure network connection when the
voter database is downloaded and vote tallies uploaded. High bit encryption will ensure
that would be cheaters would not be able to corrupt the database or change results.
The final issue surrounding the current voting process is the complaint that it is
not intuitive enough. Intelection is implements a touch screen display that will not only
show names of candidates, but display pictures as well. After a selection is made another
key part of the intellection design comes into play. A confirmation screen comes up
which summarizes the votes you have cast and asks for a final yes/no on your selections.
From there the card is made and handled by the rest of our systems.
Cheating, confusion, and the inability to provide an efficient means of voting can
no longer be tolerated. Is it time for a revolution among voting solutions. Voting will be
easy and intuitive. Each and every vote will be efficiently counted with no tolerance for
error. Under no circumstances shall voters be taken advantage of anymore. The
American people deserve to feel confident in their vote counting correctly. The answer to
this need is our product known as "Intelection".
Our product offers a multitude of advantages over the current system. Cheating
has been virtually eliminated with the strict identification and verification process that
Intelection takes advantage of. The person wanting to vote has a valid registration card
or they do not, nobody gets a ballot without one. There is also no way to allow for
multiple ballots from the same person to be counted. The voter verification process is
also computerized, leaving no room for exceptions. In the case of catastrophic disaster, a
manual recount can easily be enabled. In the case that a voter has a problem with his/her
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ballot, a certified poll attendant can issue a new ballot, but the issue is documented and
logged in the system, and the old ballot is destroyed. All ballots are watermarked as they
are dispensed, further reducing the possibility of fraud due to multiple ballots. On the
convenience side, our machines will implement touch screen displays to eliminate any
confusion while in the polls. If any confusion or unexpected problems do arise, poll
attendants possess an array of problem solving skills and are thoroughly trained in
customer service skills.
With all of these changes one might assume we are trying to turn the current
voting system upside down. Our voting machines will in fact only replace the devices
used by people who vote in person. Intelection does not infringe on the rights of those
who prefer to vote through absentee ballots or on the emerging Internet voting process.
We are confident that the vast majority of people prefer to vote in person that ensures our
machine will be in place for years to come.
Intelection covers the in-person voting process from check-in to vote counting,
improving the ease of use and reliability along the way. Voters are identified through a
computerized database as they enter the polling place. Once it is verified that they are
eligible to vote a watermarked ballot is issued. This ballot is then taken to the booth
where the user is presented with an easy-to-use touch screen display. Once the choice is
made the user is asked to verify the selection before the ballot is punched with the voter's
intent. The voter then places his or her ballot in the card reader to be tallied. Counters on
the card dispenser and reader make sure there is no discrepancy between ballots issued
and ballots received.
Intelection takes full advantage of the current voter databases. Before voters hit
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the polls, the entire database has been processed at each voting site to ensure reliability.
Each ballot dispensed is imprinted with a watermark, which will be determined the day of
the election, and printed just before the card is given out. The specifics of the watermark
can vary tremendously making ballots nearly impossible to counterfeit. Should there be
suspicion of voter fraud and a re-count is ordered only the ballots with valid watermarks
will be counted. The booths themselves will use touch screen displays to present the voter
with their options. These displays will be run off of a single, local PC to reduce price and
complexity. The ballots are punched with fresh holes made by a machine inside of the
booth. Our ballots will not be subject to the same issues surrounding the last presidential
election. The Intelection system will make use of the current card reading technology,
only adding a counter to make sure there are no more ballots received than are given out.
This is done for cost efficiency. While cutting down on the price tag, no amount of
security is sacrificed in any way.
Intelection can provide the public with a voting solution never seen before, with
unprecedented accuracy, reliability, and ease of use. A smoother flowing voting process
can only boost morale and confidence in the American voting system.
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History of voting
Voting has a long history. The following timeline hits upon some of the more historic
times in voting, especially as they pertain to the United States and Intelection. Most of
these dates where obtained from the U.S. Constitution. Others are from an interview with
Mike Overstreet and various news sources.
BC
Archeologists have found signs that humans were voting very early in history.
They voted by writing symbols on broken pieces of pottery and placing them in a
jug. Unfortunately archeologists have also found jugs full of pieces that were
obviously used for ballot stuffing.
Greek and Roman Eras
Although not much is known about exactly how they carried voting out, the
Greeks and especially the Romans refined voting creating the model upon which
our voting systems are patterned after today.
1787, September 17
The passage of the U.S. Constitution gave only white male property owners age
21 and over the right to vote, and created the Electoral College.
1789
The first presidential election was held. The Electoral College unanimously
elected George Washington.
1807 - 1843
Series of acts that changed voting requirements so that all white men 21 and older
could vote.
1848
Wisconsin became the 30th state in the union. Its constitution adopted the most
liberal voting laws in the country. Aliens in Wisconsin could vote if they'd resided
in the state for one year and declared their intent to become citizens. Other states
agreed with Wisconsin's policy and quickly adopted similar laws.
Also in 1848, the Woman's Rights Convention was held in Seneca Falls, N.Y. The
attendees agreed that women should have greater rights, such as the opportunity
to go to college, become doctors and lawyers, own land, and vote.
1850
A group of anti-immigrants formed a new political party, the Know-Nothings. As
part of their platform, they supported literacy tests, which required that one prove
he could read and write the English language before he could vote. Since few
immigrants and blacks (whether free or slaves) could read, literacy tests were a
way to prevent these groups from voting.
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1865
When the Civil War ended, blacks began demanding political rights, including the
right to vote. Some Radical Republicans, who wanted to punish the confederate
leaders and protect the rights of former slaves, supported their efforts.
1866
Congress adopted the 14th Amendment to the Constitution. Section 2 of this
amendment attempted to protect all U.S. male residents who were at least 21
years old from voting obstacles. Any state that tried to prevent members of this
group from voting would lose a proportionate number of its members of the
House of Representatives and electors in the Electoral College.
1869
Congress adopted the 15th Amendment to the Constitution. This Amendment
took the 14th Amendment one step further by formally granting all men the right
to vote, regardless of their race, color, or previous servitude. By using the word
men, women were specifically excluded from the right to vote.
1878
An act to amend the Constitution to grant women the right to vote was introduced
into Congress. It took legislators 42 years to adopt the amendment and obtain
ratification by the states.
1880’s
Some Southern states, still harboring resentment from the Civil War, did not
believe that the 15th Amendment was a guarantee of suffrage. Instead, they
believed that it prohibited them from denying someone the right to vote strictly
because of his race or color. To that end, these states developed creative ways of
preventing blacks from voting, such as complicated ballot boxes that illiterates
couldn't read, poll taxes they couldn't pay, and literacy tests they couldn't pass.
1890
In an effort to encourage men to vote freely, many states adopted the secret ballot,
which made it impossible for party bosses to intimidate voters by monitoring
voting habits. The secret ballot also made it possible for voters to split their
tickets, or to select candidates from different parties on the same ballot.
1920, August 18
The 19th Amendment gave women age 21 and older the right to vote.
1964
The 24th Amendment made it illegal for states to charge poll tax to voters.
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1965
The Voting Rights Act authorized the federal government to take over registration
of voters in areas where state officials had regularly prevented blacks and other
minorities from registering to vote or cast their ballots through usage of literacy
tests, grandfather clauses, and intimidation tactics. This Act enforced provisions
previously guaranteed in the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments almost a century
earlier.
1970’s
Nearly anyone could cobble together a "voting machine", and sell it to local
election officials. Few States had any guidelines for testing or evaluating these
devices. Local officials either had to take the salesman’s word that the system
worked or else depend on the opinion of colleagues who had already bought it.
Voting equipment horror stories -- some of them funny, some of them downright
chilling -- soon began circulating through the election community. They triggered
concerns about the integrity of the voting process.
1971, July 1
The 26th Amendment lowered the voting age across the nation to 18.
1975
The General Accounting Office’s Office of Federal Elections (predecessor to the
Federal Election Commission) signed an interagency agreement with the National
Bureau of Standards to develop operational guidelines that election administrators
could use to help ensure the accuracy and security of the computer-based votetallying process. They concluded that one of the basic causes for computer-related
election problems was the lack of appropriate technical skills at the State and
local level for developing or implementing written standards, against which
voting system hardware and software could be evaluated.
1982
The Voting Rights Act Amendments extended right to vote guarantees given in
the 1965 legislation. Further provisions for Americans with disabilities, voters not
able to read and write and those not fluent in English were added to insure their
freedoms.
1984
More than 130 State and local election officials, independent technical experts,
vendors, Congressional staff, and others participated in writing a report on the
feasibility of developing voluntary standards for voting equipment. Based on the
recommendations in this report, Congress appropriated funds permitting the
Commission to begin developing voluntary national standards for computer-based
voting systems. The FEC began the process in July 1984, and completed it with
the Commission’s approval in January 1990 with the first national performance
and test standards for punch card, marksense, and direct recording electronic
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voting systems. The FEC spent $285,000 on four contracts over the course of this
effort
1993
The National Voter Registration Act (Motor Voter) expanded the opportunity for
convenient voter registration for every person of voting age by increasing the
number of active government agencies serving as registries. The departments of
Safety, Health, Human Services, Mental Health and Retardation, and Veteran's
Affairs are required to include voter registration applications with their own
department's forms. Other government offices such as libraries, post offices,
county clerk offices, and the Registrar of Deeds will also have voter forms
available to the public.
1994
The Tennessee Early Voting Act replaced the previous absentee voting system
used for the state. Tennesseans now have a period of 15 days in which to vote
early before the actual Election Day without declaring a reason for this early
casting of votes. Voters using this opportunity may vote at their county election
office or any one of its satellite locations in that county during their posted hours
of operation.
2000
Due to inadequacies of current voting procedures, the presidential election nearly
broke down and led to judges in courtrooms making many voting decisions. This
has led Florida and many other states to seek out a better system for voting.
2001
Intelection is poised to revolutionize the voting process by making voting easier,
faster, and harder to cheat.
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Product Overview
Intelection will consist of four different modules, an identification card, a cardswipe reader, a voting booth, and a database front-end. The card-swipe reader shall
download part of the state's database before the election starts. The ballot counter shall
take the number of votes, tally them, and compare them to the number of ballots issued.
The ID card will consist of a single magnetic strip placed on the back. The cards
can be made specially issued or can be integrated with current ones such as a driver's
license. The ID booth will read the information on the strip and attempt to match it with
the state's database to see if the voter is registered.
The poll worker will be watching the ID unit for any discrepancies. If the card
fails to read, the poll worker can manually punch in the specific number or information
that the user provides. The card reader will give a green light for an approved card or red
for a rejected one. The information on the ID unit will give the ballot to the voter and
will automatically increment a counter.
The voter will then take the ballot to the voting booth and will insert it into the
ballot dispenser. The voter will be met by a touch screen graphical user interface that
will take the he or she through the voting process. The main menu will give the user a
choice of candidates. Depending on state law, descriptions, beliefs, and party affiliation
may be given. After a choice has been made, the user will immediately be taken to a
confirmation screen to determine if the right candidate was chosen. If the user confirms
the vote, the puncher will create a hole in the appropriate place and the dispenser will
give the ballot back. If the user makes the wrong choice, it shall take him back to the
beginning of the selection screen.
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The punched ballot will then be taken to the poll worker. The poll worker shall
then take it and place it in the standard issue ballot reader. The reader will then
increment the ballot counter. The count will be sent back to the state precinct and
compared against the number of ballots distributed for added security.
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Competition Matrix
Intelection like any other product has competition, but Intelection is far superior to any of
the current products available. Internet voting is an emerging competition, but with the
lack of voter verification it will never be used widespread. The current system has been
proved faulty by the 2000 election. Accuvote-TS comes the closest to being what the
public needs but fails in having a paper trail, and with voter privacy.
Intelection
Allows Hand
Yes
Recounts
Touch screen Yes
Chads
No
Voter Privacy Yes
ID Check
Yes
Internet
Current Description
Accuvote-TS
Voting
System
The electronic voting paths have no paper trail to
No
No
Yes
recount
Internet voting relies on a mouse and the current
system relies on a booklet of choices and a stylus
No
Yes
No
type puncher. The touch screen choice makes
voting simple.
Chads are the perforated punch-outs on the paper
ballots used in the current machines. The
No
No
Yes
electronic machines remove this by using no paper
ballots. Intelection removes this by using a
puncher instead of chads
The internet voting scheme cannot guarantee
privacy of voting as long as cookies and IP
addresses are used in the transmission. If voter
verification is used, how can the voter be assured
No
No
Yes
this info isn’t stored with the vote? The AccuVote
uses a smart card to allow people to vote. Once
again how do the voters know this card doesn’t
store their vote with their name?
The current system of ID checks relies on human
intervention completely. Our system moves the
No
Yes
Yes
lookup portion of this verification to be done by a
computer. The only ID done by a human is the
picture verification.
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Certification Process
Before a county may use any new voting equipment, the equipment must first
be certified by the state.
Certification processes are determined at the state level, and as such, some
variance may exist between states, but the variance is very small, and most states have
agreed to the same requirements. However, no state shares reciprocity with any other
state. In other words, being certified in any one state does not automatically certify it in
any other state.
Pragmatically, however, certification boards typically take into advisement
whether a product has been certified before and by which states.
According to Mr. Bill Atkinson, chair of the Virginia state board of elections,
the certification process is a politically independent process, which means no political
party holds any sway in the process. The certification process typically takes 18 to 24
months. During that time, the process progresses through three phases.
During the first phase, representatives of the new product appear before a board
of critics. This phase may be considered the “sales job” a company must do on behalf of
their product to the state board. The board is typically of a size of 8 to 12 members, and
4 representatives are usually invited on behalf of their product. This is the least formal of
the three products, and can sometimes turn into “inquisitions” by the board members on
the product, according to Mr. Atkinson.
Next comes the verification process, in which a product is physically tested to
ensure equal access & ruggedness. The test, as Mr. Atkinson, is very similar to the tests
slot machines must endure in Las Vegas. The integrity of the product is tested against
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tampering and physical wear. Typically, 4 representatives are invited to the verification
process.
Finally, the rights of the common voter are protected by the third phase of the
process, the judiciary process. This is a court proceeding in which the new product is
tested against the equal protection rights of the common voter. This phase typically
proceeds without drama.
Once a product passes these three phases, it is then considered certified by the
state to be used in any of its counties. According to Mr. Atkinson, two-thirds of
applicants pass the first phase, and could not remember any product failing the latter two
phases after passing the first.
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Specification Overview
Intelection will consist of four components: 1.) Software 2.) Hardware 3.)
Network 4.) Database. The ID will contain a magnetic strip in the back to be read by the
ID card booth. The computer shall send the identification information to the database.
The precinct database will be downloaded into the ID card booth before the election. The
information received from the database front-end will be compared to the precinct data to
confirm whether or not the voter is registered citizen of the state. Once confirmation has
been given the ballot distributor will distribute a ballot. The ID card booth will then
increment a counter to be compared with the ballot counter when the voter is finished.
The voter will then take the ballot to the voting booth and insert it into the holepunching unit. An introduction screen will meet the voter. Next, a menu screen will
show the candidates present for the current election. The user shall choose a candidate
and a confirmation screen will appear. It will ask the user if the candidate chosen was the
correct one. If the user chooses “yes”, the hole puncher will punch a hole in the correct
position where the candidate was located. For security purposes, a watermark can be
used to be placed on the upper-left hand corner of the ballot. If the user chooses “no”, the
user will be taken back to the menu screen to choose again.
The vote will be taken to the poll worker. The poll worker will then take the
ballot and slide it into the state issued ballot counter. The ballot counter will then
increment and store the total number for the punched ballots. Both numbers from the
ballot counter and ID card booth should be compared for accuracy.
The Software component will consist of a GUI that will take the vote from the
user. This will be a screen with the candidates listed and the verification screen. The
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database will hold all of the applicable voters and will exist on a PostGreSQL server.
This will all be connected by the network. All of these individual components are
addressed in the following sections. For additional information and a graphical diagram
refer to Appendix G.
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Hardware Specification
Intelection shall encompass a majority of off-the-shelf parts in order to ensure
compatibility. There will be two primary units built, the initial card-swipe machine and
the actual voting booth itself. Both units will run independent of each other. Each card
will contain a magnetic strip on the back similar to those of credit cards and driver's
licenses. Four support modules
Card-swipe Machine
The initial card-swipe machines use an EEPROM in order to be configured easily.
The card reader will have a spring loaded card guide in order to adjust for different sizes.
It will have a large debris slot/half card dropout for jam operation. The card reader shall
contain a database composed of voter registration to assure verification. The card reader
will read a magnetic strip either composed of a single, dual, or triple track. It will be
designed to be ridged and vandal resistant. The card-swipe machine contains a flat
screen TV to tell the poll worker whether or not the applicant is a registered voter. Each
card will contain a magnetic strip on the back similar to those of credit cards and driver's
licenses
Voting Booth
The voting booth will be composed of five main parts. The first will be a
motherboard containing 256 megabytes of Non-Volatile Random Access Memory
(NVRAM). This type of memory will keep its contents even when the power is turned
off. The power shall be ensured by an optional backup power generator. There will also
be 64 megabytes of Random Access Memory (RAM) for the computer to read and write
from.
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The second will be a power supply; it shall take a 60-Hertz, 120 volt AC and
convert it to a DC of +5 to +12 volts. The motherboard and adapter cards will use the +5
volts of power, while the hard drive motor and cooling fans will consume +12 volts. The
power supply will be at least 200-watts. The back of the case will contain a rectangular
2" height x 4" width inch hole for power supply ventilation.
The third part will be a high velocity hole puncher / card dispenser. The puncher
will move on wheels on a free-floating platform. It shall be suspended above the ballot
and be composed of a horizontal bar to move across row-wise and vertical bar to move on
a column. Instead of using a stylus to make a hole, the puncher will be a round thin
cylinder around 4 mm in diameter and have a very sharp hollow tip.
The ballot dispenser will have a 7.5 cm length by 3 mm height entry for the ballot.
It will have 4 large wheels to take the card from the user and align it with the holepunching stylus. The user must be given specific instructions to not place their hands or
any articles of clothing inside the dispenser. The red light shall indicate the ballot was
misaligned and the machine will attempt to dispense it back to the user. The green light
shall indicate a vote has been successfully placed.
The touch screen LCD shall be put on the center left corner of the case. It will be
a flat panel that contains four buttons to adjust for hue, brightness, tint, and sharpness.
The resolution is adjustable and must be at least able to handle 256-16.7 million colors.
The screen will be able to detect a touch that is as light as 50 -120 grams per square cm
with an error of 3 mm. There will be a scratch resistant membrane covering the screen to
prevent shattering due to high impact.
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Lastly, the case will be custom made out of hard-coated polyester. The upper left
hand corner of the case will contain four brackets for placement of the flat touch-screen
monitor. Two rectangular squares and a circular .5 cm hole will be cut out of the back in
order to provide leads to the power supply, an exit for the network card and motherboard.
It shall have a ventilation grill on the back to provide cooling for the motherboard and the
power supply. The case will have two slots for the motherboard and network card. The
upper part of the case will contain a key to prevent intruders from opening it and the
bottom shall have a stainless steel latch.
Optional: Watermark
For added security we have provided an option for polls to use watermarks as a
means of verification. After each vote a watermark shall be placed on the upper left-hand
corner of the ballot. Board members must approve the watermark. A popular suggestion
is to use a seal for that particular city. When held up to ultraviolet rays the picture should
show. The watermark itself cannot be photocopied; this makes an excellent security
measure and is recommended.
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Software
The Intelection voting system uses multiple software components to perform the
goals we have set out to accomplish. The system incorporates a voter identification
booth utilizing several crucial components. The first of these is an identification card
reader. The voter is required to present an identification card containing name, precinct,
and eligibility information. When the card is passed through the reader the information is
extracted and verified against the user database held on a local PC. This extracted
information is compared to the information of the database and a card is either dispensed,
or an error will occur and no ballot given out. To accomplish this task the information
from the card must be extracted and temporarily stored. The information is parsed and
appropriate queries are formed then passed on to the database. Once a response is
received a signal is sent to the card dispenser that will be either an affirmative or denial
of ballot. An affirmative signal will cause the ballot to be given out. A denial of card
will produce no response. The PC will be running the Linux operating system. This is
free software and tends to be more stable than the more traditional Windows operating
system. The database software will be provided by PostGreSQL-, also provided free of
cost.
The second major computer software component comes into play in the voting
booth. A touch screen display will be the heart of this station. Behind the scenes will be
a ballot card puncher and network interface card. All of the components will be
controlled by a motherboard contained within the booth itself. The software contained in
the voting booth will be responsible for producing the candidate information that gets
displayed as well as controlling the card puncher. A secondary role of this software will
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be to control update plug-in modules. These modules will contain information specific to
a given election and locality, mostly containing candidate names, pictures and a brief
slogan.
The entire Intelection system will be networked for user convenience. This
network consists of the database, identification station, voting booth, and ballot reader.
This network will use standard protocols to send and receive information so software will
not need to be specifically created for this task. A standard encryption algorithm will be
used for secure reception of the initial voter database and for the secure transmission of
the ballot counter results.
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Customer Relations Specifications
The job of the customer relations department is three-fold. First, the marketing
department must perform an in-depth analysis of the 50 states (and the District of
Columbia) in order to establish a list of potential markets, prioritized by where in the
product cycles the state is. States typically run through a 20-year cycle. A voting
machine that is certified today is typically retired twenty years from now.
If a state is nearing the end of its 20-year cycle, then that state will have a higher priority
than a state just beginning its own cycle.
Once a list is established, the certification requirements and voter protection laws
of the high-priority states are researched and verified against the offerings of Intelection.
Intelection should by this point be designed according to the strictest state requirements.
When the prototype product is being tested and documented, it is the marketing
department needs to relay information regarding state requirements to the engineers.
Secondly, the marketing department is responsible for following Intelection
through the certification process. As noted in the certification section, representatives of
the product are invited to be present during the first two phases, and the marketing
department fills that role. The contracted legal firm attends the last phase of certification
(judicial).
Lastly, the marketing department follows individual counties through the product
life cycle. The marketing department levers Intelection into the counties and makes them
aware of its offerings. When a county is interested, it will typically purchase a small testbed of machines for hands-on evaluation. The marketing department “greases the
wheels” of this phase.
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Once a county has been made into a customer, the marketing department is
responsible for training the precinct workers. It is also the responsibility of the marketing
department to distribute flash updates for the different elections. This is analogous to
distributing ballot books for punch card and stencil booths. Any product upgrades that
are necessary will be distributed through the marketing department.
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Networking Specifications
The digital network that supports Intelection can be segmented into three parts:
the network supporting each precinct, the network supporting the local government, and
the portion connecting those two.
The precinct portion of the network shall be responsible for connecting the local
database, the card-swipe machines, and the router connecting to the leased line.
(Optionally, the voting booths may be connected to the network if Internet voting is to be
used.)
Standard 10baseT Ethernet shall be used to connect these devices. The switch
that connects these devices should be hidden from public access, though it is felt a
dedicated wiring closet at this point would be overkill. Larger precincts with a large
enough number of terminals to justify this cost are certainly open to using one, however.
A Cisco 700 router is to be used to connect the precinct portion of the network with the
leased-line.
The portion linking the precinct with the local government consists of a 64kbps
leased-line between the two sites. This line will be infrequently used, with only two
primary uses: downloading the voter list from the State database to the local database,
and possibly uploading network ballots. With Cisco equipment on both ends, RC5 128bit encryption of the leased line may be considered overkill, but must be used.
The last portion of the network exists a the local government, typically a town
hall or city hall. This portion is responsible for connecting the front-end driver of the
state database with the various precincts throughout the county. This consists of a crossover Ethernet connection between the front-end and a dial-up concentrator. This should
26
be a Cisco AS 4000 model, which accepts up to 120 incoming connections, though a
smaller model, perhaps the Cisco AS 2000 model may be considered for smaller
counties.
IP addressing must be compliant with private addressing, as laid out in RFC 1918.
The support network may not, at any point, connect with any network, including the
Internet. Even in the case of Internet voting, a private-public crossover must occur in the
state government network, and not over the Intelection network.
27
Database Specifications
Intelection will use a major database component to accomplish its tasks. There
will be a front-end driver to the database provided by the states, a local database server
that will contain all of the registered voters for that precinct, and an interface for the local
database.
The front-end driver consists of an uplink to the states registered voter database.
The network engineer will secure this link. This uplink will retrieve the data from the
state database and transfer it to the local database. This task will be completed the day
before each election to guarantee a down link during the election will not cause a
problem. The SQL statement used to retrieve this information will be supplied by the
state and must be incorporated on a state-by-state basis. The transfer of the database can
be from any SQL server as long the tables can be represented in PostGreSQL.
The local database server will be a PostGreSQL server. PostGreSQL was chosen
due to its free aspect. The local server will be divided into to parts, the prototype and the
functional product.
The prototype will be developed using a very limited table just to get the
information available for the prototype ID scanner. The schema for the prototype will
consist of a simple table containing a name, social security number, and a simple yes/no
value for whether the voter has received a ballot. Initially all of the tuples have a no for
the received attribute. The primary key for this database will be the social security
number. This will allow no duplicate entries into the table, as integrity constraints will
apply.
28
The functional product database will be much more elaborate than the one used
for the prototype. This database will contain the same table with addition features. The
schema for this database will contain all the necessary items to verify the ID is the one
belonging to the person voting. The attributes will consist of name, social security
number, age, height, weight, hair color, eye color and the ballot received attribute. The
additional attributes in the database will be used by the poll workers and the control
algorithm to verify that the ID matches the registered voter. The attributes of this
database need not be all in one table, but they must correlate to the necessary
information. These attributes will not be transferred to the ballot, but will remain in the
database for verification.
The interface for the database will be a set of SQL queries. The actual interface
to the database will be provided by the software design team and is included in the
software aspect of the design. The SQL queries need to perform the following tasks in an
optimized fashion:
Prototype:

Upon query provide the appropriate information for the voter based on the
social security number. This will return the name of the person based on the
social security number

Return a value of yes or no for the appropriate voter on whether he/she has
voted in this election.

Update the table to represent that the voter has voted after the ballot has been
distributed.
29

Algorithm for populating the tables with the information from the states
database. This will be a generic input algorithm at this point

Functional Product:
Upon query provide the appropriate information for the voter based on the
social security number. This will return all of the necessary information from
the database regardless of the underlying schema.

Return a value of yes or no for the appropriate voter on whether he/she has
voted in this election. This will return the appropriate value that is stored in
the table. This is NOT calculated by the algorithm.

Update table to represent that the voter has voted after the ballot has been
distributed. This simply changes the attribute in a table corresponding to the
voter to a symbol representing yes.

Algorithm for populating the tables with the information from the states
database. This algorithm will be state dependent and will have to be
compatible with all of the database systems any state may use. This will be a
looped query of the state database along with an insert into the local database.

Algorithm for manipulation of tables in the database to be used by Intelection
for emergency modifications. In case a attribute is incorrect in the table and
maintenance is needed during an election, this query will allow for this
manipulation.

Algorithm for printing of data at end of election. After the election is
concluded the information representing who was voted and who hasn’t needs
30
to be retrievable. This will allow the back-end programmers to simply
incorporate the queries into the print process.

Algorithm for removal of data. After the election has concluded the
information needs to be purged or archived to allow room for the new
database of applicable voters. This algorithm will remove or archive the data
in the database for future use.
31
Outline of Documentation
Users manual table of contents must include:
Table of Contents
Description of pieces and their uses
How to set it up
How to take it down
What to do if:
Power goes out
A machine stops working
Some one gets their card jammed
Other problems occur
Troubleshooting
How to reach Intelection
Other available options
Index
32
Risks
Any product is going to come across many risks. Intelection has some risks associated
with it, but none that cannot be over come. Although a product is tied to it’s risks, all of
the associated risks are mitigated in the table below
1. Politics
(pushing through bureaucracy)
This will be the major task of our marketing and legal departments. We
will start with one state then move on as acceptance grows
2. Compliance with state laws
& other voting machines
Similar to above, legal and marketing teams will include highly skilled
and experienced lobbyists
The compatibility issue will be solved by the modularity of our design
3. Proving it is better than
existing system
This will be apparent when our product goes to the certification phase.
Not only does our machine provide an easier interface, it is more secure as
well
4. Price
Our product comes in at a lower cost that our competition plus surpasses
them in terms of ease of use and security
5. Ease of Use
(training)
Touch screen, clear instructions,
Confirmation Screen, Multilanguage support,
Only one technical support person needed for several
precincts to program in election information.
6. Making it Upgradeable
Modular design supports punch-card, optical, internet voting
Current design leaves room for expandability by using plug-in modules
7. Security of voter database
Our network will use a strong encryption scheme and minimize online
time to reduce threat to voter database
8. Initial access to voter
database
Once the system is adopted by a location we will receive the same
database information already in use
9. Competition
Since the recent election the market is enormous and our product will
clearly be dominant when compared by feature
10. Power Backup
Most voting locations already have redundant power systems
(generators, batteries, etc.)
Intelection could offer these as options if needed
11. Finding Funding
We currently have several strong possibilities in the form of parent
companies to provide funding
12. Storage
Machine folds into self-protecting hardened plastic case which will be
included with the purchase price
13. Durability
Reinforced supports to hold up machine.
Back-up components on-hand for quick change-out
14. Card Jams
Damaged card can be exchanged for fresh one
15. Wheel-chair accessible
Current design includes a Width of 34" to accept wheelchairs,
height can be adjusted manually
33
University Coordination
CS250 Requirements:
[The following code deliverables is for educational purposes only due to the sensitivity of
the software licensed to and developed by Intelection designers. Under certain
guidelines, specific security clearance is required to integrate actual software with the
Intelection Software Design Teams.]
Intelection Inc., a revolutionary designer/manufacturer of electronic voting solutions has
employed the CS250 class from Old Dominion University to provide software to be used
in the graphical user interface implemented in a touch screen environment. In order for
the user interface to perform properly, students must create a program in C++ to handle
the transport of voting decisions to and from the modular hardware.
In the Intelection system, users perform the voting process utilizing a touch screen to
simplify the operation. Physical vote recording devices (i.e. punch cards, optical ballots)
are automatically manipulated by machine for the individual voter based on their touch
screen decisions. This process eliminates confusion and accidental misvoting involved
with the traditional voting system of hand punched perforated cards.
Given multiple sets of candidate data packets and graphic files in JPG format for the
Welcome screen, Confirmation screen, Help screen, and all Candidate screens, the
deliverable is a linked list that contains all of the users voting intentions. For
simplification purposes, the students will replace screen touches with key presses. In
each data packet, the number of candidates running for each voting selection will vary
between one and eight.
The format of the data packet is left to the professor’s digression.
To begin, the welcome screen should be shown, requiring the user to touch the screen to
continue.
Next should begin the loop for each set of candidates.
User selects a candidate to vote for
a) If the user confirms the selection, continue to next vote
b) If the user aborts the selection, return and ask for another selection
Upon completion, the user can choose to finalize all votes or return to any selection to
revise their decision.
The user can abort at any time before final revision. In this case, the linked list should be
returned empty.
Extra Credit Implementation:
(Note: Students should not attempt any extra credit until all of the above requirements
have been met)
34
1) At any time, the user may select a Help button. Show the help JPG file and wait for
user input to continue.
2) The number of candidates for each voting selection can vary from one to infinity.
3) The quantity of votes for each candidate in each selection should be tallied to provide
an unofficial voting count. The deliverable for the unofficial tally should be in the form
of a separate linked list.
4) The linked lists should be doubly linked.
CS300U Requirements:
Voting nearly broke down in the 2000 presidential election race; a large part of this
was do to inadequate voting systems. At Intelection we are going to revise the
current voting system, making voting easier, faster, and harder to cheat. We will be
doing this by incorporating touch screen technology, mechanical card punchers, ID
card readers, and other new technologies.
In order for our voting machine to be put into use, we need to be certified by each state
and the District of Columbia. However, we don’t just want to pick a state blindly and
start with that state. This is where you come in.
Groups of three need to pick which one of the fifty states or the District of Columbia they
would be most interested in researching. No two groups may have the same state, so you
must ask your teacher if you can have the state you choose. States will be given on a first
come first serve basis.
There are three tasks that need to be performed by each group so every group member
will be performing one of these tasks. The three tasks are:
a) Find out how many voting machines are currently certified in the state, how
long they have been certified, and what they are.
b) Find out what is required for certification, and what state laws exist pertaining
to voting and in particular voting machines.
c) Find out how many districts are in the state, the approximate number of
precincts, and the approximate number of voting machines in the state.
Each group will be responsible for writing a 10 to 15-page paper on their findings. The
paper should include examples and concrete evidence of its findings. It should also
follow standard MLA essay format with an introduction including a thesis and a
conclusion. Grammar, spelling, and punctuation will be a factor in your grade but only
minor as compared to content.
Each group will also be responsible for giving a 15-minute presentation on the need for
voting machines in the state you chose. Each member of the group will take the area they
did the paper on and give a 5-minute overview of it. The group will only be allowed one
PowerPoint slide show, so it is necessary that you meet and work together to create it. If
the group goes over 15-minutes grades will be penalized and the teacher may cut you off.
35
Schedule & Milestones
Since Intelection consists of so many physical pieces coming together to form the
ultimate solution to the puzzle of voting, it was necessary to use a highly parallel design
solution. The company, as described in the organizational section, has been split into
different departments with independent roles.
In order to increase productivity, the job of each department depends on the work
of other departments only four times during development. Departments rendezvous with
each other at certain points in the development cycle and integrate their products for
testing and documentation.
The first phase of development culminates in a fully working prototype. In order
to have a fully functional prototype, it is necessary for Engineering and Software to
rendezvous with the QA department in order to begin integration. Meanwhile, the
Marketing department will meet with the QA department in order to coordinate on what
states require for certification.
After testing, Programming and Engineering independently document what flaws
their products contained and this culminates in a full-fledged document of what
knowledge was gained through testing. After this written document is produced,
Production design may begin. This is the second milestone.
Again, after independently creating their sections of Intelection, Engineering and
Programming will coordinate with QA to begin the testing phase of the Production
model.
36
After Production testing, the departments again separate to create their written
documents. This phase culminates in a written manual to be distributed among the
public.
The fifth milestone comes when the marketing department successfully follows
Intelection through its first state certification. This opens Intelection to its first market,
and begins the long road to success.
For a PERT chart of the schedule see appendix F.
37
Organization
The organization of Intelection, Inc. is made up of many engineers, programmers,
testers, and management staff. The company is divided up into 5 departments,
Engineering, Software Design, Quality Assurance, Customer Relations, and
Management. These departments have their own specific jobs and functions and each
have their own allotted budget. The following will be a specific list of the jobs and
positions included in each department.
For a diagram of each department see appendix G.
38
Management
The Board of Executives for this project will consist of six members. The positions of
these members are project manager, legal coordinator, marketing coordinator, software
coordinator, hardware coordinator, and quality assurance manager. The responsibilities
of each position will be addressed specifically below. Each of the members is
responsible for multiple employees under them.
Project Manager: Jeremy Williams holds this position. The responsibilities of
Mr. Williams are to schedule and oversee regular meetings. He will also be responsible
for the overseeing the completion of each task and making adjustments to the schedule at
later times if need be. He will oversee all operations and is the senior management
person.
Legal Coordinator: Matt Jackson holds this position. The responsibilities of
Mr. Jackson are to directly work with the legal firm to verify all state and federal laws are
met in the design and building of the voting machines. He will be responsible for passing
written documentation to the design team for software and hardware as to the
requirements imposed by the states.
Marketing Coordinator: Andy Niepraschk holds this position. The
responsibilities of this position include developing the marketing strategy for the
distribution of the product. He will be directly responsible for the proper usage of the
lead marketers and the Marketing agents.
39
Software Coordinator: Adrian Carr holds this position. Mr. Carr’s position
includes the responsibilities of overseeing the software development operations. He is
directly responsible for overseeing the integration of the software with the hardware.
Hardware Coordinator: Paul Tuason holds this position. The responsibilities of Mr.
Tuason include the overseeing of the entire physical design. He is responsible for the
creation and verification of specifications.
Quality Assurance Manager: Jeff Woltz holds this position. The
responsibilities of Mr. Woltz include overseeing the testing operations and verifying
integrity of the tests. He will deal all of the service requests with.
40
Customer Relations
At Intelection the customer relations departments motto is “No mountain to high
no valley to low.” This motto demonstrates the desire to get Intelection’s voting machine
certified in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. It further exemplifies the desire to
not stop until every precinct in every district has Intelection voting machines in it.
In order to meet this monumental task, the marketing department will consist of
two separate entities. This is necessary because of the two main tasks the marketing
department faces.
The First team will be responsible for getting certification from the 50 states and
Washington D.C. This team will consist of two lawyers, two salesmen, and two
researchers. The job of the lawyers and salesmen will be to go to all the fifty states and
present Intelection’s voting machine for certification by arguing its value and the need to
certify it. Meanwhile the two researchers will be studying the voting laws, specifications,
and current practices of each state.
The second team will consist entirely of sales men and will start with a few
salesmen and steadily grow as the demand increases. Their job will be to go to all the
many districts selling voting machines to them, after the state it is in has been certified.
During the development of the prototype the initial team will be busy looking at
each state and prioritizing them according to their need for a new voting machine.
Intelection will be contracting out cs300u students from ODU to help with this
monumental task. Once the prototype has been built the team will start with the most
needy states first and try to get certified down the list.
41
Engineering
Engineering shall be responsible for the case design and integration of parts for
Intelection. The engineering department will come up with a design that is robust and
will have performance measures done to test the system case to its limits.
The design engineers will be given tools such as AutoCAD or 3D Studio Max,
both by AutoDesk, to aid in producing a working prototype. The engineers must follow
these guidelines: 1.) Each drawing must be composed of a front view, top view, and
isometric view. 2.) All units must be in centimeters. 3.) The name will be placed on the
bottom-center drawing and the date will be placed on the bottom right corner. 4.) A
problem statement will be given to the design engineer for further specifications.
Working with the cooperation of quality assurance, the mechanical engineers will
take measurements and give shock tests for the case. According to Gateway, for the box
to be sturdy enough to take the abuse of being stored then high quality materials would be
necessary. The purpose of these tests may seem trivial, but Intelection will be stored in
warehouses and for space saving purposes, stacking of units may occur. Using the
specifications given by the manufacturer, the mechanical engineers will perform drop
tests at certain heights. The units shall be dropped and measured either in feet or meters.
Pressure tests will also be given in pounds per square inch. This includes distributed load
on a wide area or a point load on a given small area. Temperature tests will also be given
for at least 40 °F to 120 °F. Both pressure and temperature test will be collected, placed
in database, and submitted to the manager for final approval.
42
Software Design
At the head of the software development operations is Adrian Carr. As
programming coordinator, Adrian's tasks include overseeing all operations involving
software for Intelection. Mr. Carr works directly Intelection's presence on the World
Wide Web. The other positions involved with software development are as follows.
Web Programmer
This individual is responsible for all modular interaction with the World Wide
Web. Update routines must be coordinated with the database programmers. The web
programmer must work with the GUI programmer to set standards for all updates to the
system for each individual election.
State Database Programmer
The duties and responsibilities for this position are design and implementation of
the database software involved with the statewide systems.
Local Database Programmer
Directly involved with the state database programmer, this position is responsible
for design and implementation of the local database operations. The software developed
must reliably interact with databases to retrieve voter information prior to the opening of
the polls. It is of utmost importance that all network information involved with this task
stay secure and encrypted.
43
GUI Programmer
All user end (voters) interaction with the software system is handled by this
programmer. The GUI must allow for help screens of personal assistance at any time
during the voting. Interaction with updates for each election must be handled here with
emphasis in simplicity. The updates will conform to a standard, but the number of
candidates and the criteria for each election can vary. The interface should be obvious
and intuitive. The request for personal assistance must be as infrequent as possible.
Back-end Programmer
These positions report directly to the senior programmer. Aspects of this job
include interaction of each modular piece of code in the software system. Cleanup and
rewrites of code must be performed as necessary.
Senior Programmer
This is one of the most important jobs in software development. This position is
responsible for overseeing many aspects of the software design process. The
programmer must be flexible and able to work on all parts of the code in any module as
necessary. Coordination between each module (i.e. GUI, database) is the responsibility
of the senior programmer.
44
Quality Assurance
The quality assurance team will consist of a logistics expert, a testing coordinator and
two general testers. The functions of each position will be discussed in the following.
Logistics Expert
The logistics expert will be the coordinator for the entire Quality Assurance
department. His job will consist of managing funds for the department, assigning and
evaluating tasks for the testers and reporting to higher management. He will also be
responsible for handling any incoming requests for replacement parts due to
malfunctions.
Testing Coordinator
The testing coordinator has the job of selecting the specific tests to perform and to
evaluate the returning test data. His job will be to verify with integrity that the product
does pass the test phase. The general testers are directly under him in the hierarchical
chain. He is responsible for giving the general testers the necessary resources to perform
the testing and is to assign them the tests.
General Testers
The General Testers will have the job of actually performing the tests. This is a
low qualification position, but the testing skills are required. The testers will report to the
testing coordinator with the data from the tests.
45
Budget
Salary Breakdown by Department
Management
Project Manager – Jeremy Williams
Salary
$200,000
Qty
Total
$200,000
Annually - $200,000
Customer Relations
Legal Coordinator – Mathew Jackson
$160,000
$160,000
Marketing Coordinator – Andy Niepraschk
$90,000
$90,000
Senior Marketer
$60,000
$60,000
Division Marketers
$40,000
Legal Firm
4
$160,000
$100,000
$100,000
$20,000
$20,000
Engineering
Hardware Design Expert – Paul Tuason
$150,000
$150,000
Mechanical Engineer
$120,000
2
$240,000
Electrical Engineer
$120,000
2
$240,000
Network Engineer
$80,000
2
$160,000
Travel Expenses
Annually - $590,000
Annually - $790,000
Quality Assurance
Logistics and Resources Expert – Jeff Woltz
$90,000
General Tester
$35,000
Testing Coordinator
$60,000
$90,000
2
$70,000
$60,000
46
Annually - $220,000
Software Design
Programming Coordinator – Adrian Carr
$120,000
$120,000
Web Programmer
$30,000
$30,000
State Database Programmer
$60,000
$60,000
Local Database Programmer
$60,000
$60,000
GUI Programmer
$90,000
2
$180,000
Back-end Programmer
$80,000
3
$160,000
Senior Programmer
$110,000
$220,000
Annually - $830,000
Resource Cost Breakdown
Item
Computers
Department
Management
Customer Relations
Engineering
Quality Assurance
Software Design
Laptops
Customer Relations
Server
Customer Relations
Engineering
Software Design
Quality Assurance
Domain Name 5 years ALL
Non-Reoccurring Costs
Management
Customer Relations
Engineering
Quality Assurance
Software Design
Other
Total: $50,100
$1,000
$16,000
$11,000
$14,000
$8,000
$100
Qty
1
2
7
4
10
5
1
1
1
1
Total
$1000
$2000
$7000
$4000
$10,000
$10,000
$4000
$4000
$4000
$4000
$100
Annual Budget
Management
Customer Relations
Engineering
Quality Assurance
Software Design
Other
$200,000
$590,000
$790,000
$220,000
$830,000
$0
Total: $2,630,000
47
Percentage of Annual Operating
Expenses by Department
Percentage of Initial Expenses by
Department
Management
Managem ent
Customer
Relations
Custom er
Relations
Engineering
Engineering
Software Design
Softw are
Design
Quality
Assurance
Quality
Assurance
Operating Expenses
First Year
Second Year
Third Year
Fourth Year
Firth Year
Annually
$2,680,100
$2,630,000
$2,630,000
$2,630,000
$2,630,000
Cumulative
$2,680,100
$5,310,100
$7,940,100
$10,570,100
$13,200,100
Cost of Production
ID Reader/Ballot Dispenser
Ticket Reader - $400
PC To Hold DB - $500
Ticket Dispenser - $80
Case - $109
Total - $1089
Voting Booth
Touch Screen – $1000
64Megs of Ram (Volatile) - $20
256Megs of Ram (Non-Volatile) - $327
PC - $500
Case - $109
Assorted nuts and bolts - $50
Total - $2006
Hole Punch Module
Hold Puncher - $150
Modular Casing - $50
Network Module
Network Card - $30
Router - $100
Total - $200
Total - $130
Manufacturing - $200 per unit
48
Expected Pricing and Profits
Price per unit
$1500
$3500
$500
$500
ID Reader/Ballot Dispenser
Voting Booth
Hold Punch Module
Network Module
Profit per unit
$211
$1294
$100
$170
Profit (based on projections of Voting Booth)
Year
Sales
Gross
Profit
Overhead**
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
5
5
500
6500
9000
12000
25000
40000
$17,500
$17,500
$1,750,000
$22,750,000
$31,500,000
$42,000,000
$87,500,000
$140,000,000
$6,470
$6,470
$647,000
$8,411,000
$11,646,000
$15,528,000
$32,350,000
$51,760,000
$2,588
$2,588
$258,800
$3,364,400
$4,658,400
$6,211,200
$12,940,000
$20,704,000
Year
Sales
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
5
5
500
6500
9000
12000
25000
40000
Adjusted Profit
$3,882
$3,882
$388,200
$5,046,600
$6,987,600
$9,316,800
$19,410,000
$31,056,000
Cumulative
$3,882
$7,764
$395,964
$5,442,564
$12,430,164
$19,805,964
$39,215,964
$70,271,964
Profit (based on projections Expansion Modules)
Gross
$2,500
$2,500
$250,000
$3,250,000
$4,500,000
$6,000,000
$12,500,000
$20,000,000
Profit*
$500
$500
$50,000
$650,000
$900,000
$1,200,000
$2,500,000
$4,000,000
Overhead**
$200
$200
$20,000
$260,000
$360,000
$480,000
$1,000,000
$1,600,000
Adjusted Profit
$300
$300
$30,000
$390,000
$540,000
$720,000
$1,500,000
$2,400,000
Cumulative
$300
$600
$30,600
$420,600
$960,600
$1,680,600
$3,180,600
$5,580,600
* - Based on $100 per unit profit
** - Overhead is a 40% of profit charge given to ODU for services
Cumulative Profit (based on projections)
Year Profits from
Profits from
Yearly Profit
Cumulative
Booths
Modules
1
$3882
$300
$4,182
$4,182
2
$3882
$300
$4,182
$8,364
3
$388,200
$30,000
$418,200
$426,564
4
$5,046,600
$390,000
$5,436,600
$5,863,164
5
$6,987,600
$540,000
$7,527,600
$13,390,764
6
$9,316,800
$720,000
$10,036,800
$23,427,564
7
$19,410,000
$1,500,000
$20,910,000
$44,337,564
8
$31,056,000
$2,400,000
$33,456,000
$77,793,564
49
90
Annual Expenses and Profit vs. Time
Millions
Millions
Cumulative Expenses and Profit vs. Time
80
70
40
35
30
60
25
50
Expenses
40
Profit
30
Networth
Expenses
20
Profit
15
20
10
10
0
-10
-20
5
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
50
Funding
At Intelection due to a unique and specialized market we have special funding
needs. Intelection needs a parent company that has the necessary resources to get us
started, and is interested in receiving a very large return from the investment. There are
already several large companies interested in parenting Intelection, but we are looking for
more before we make a final decision.
Intelection has a very well thought out product in a field with little competition
and the need for something new. An interested parent company has the opportunity to
turn 13 million dollars into 40 billion dollars; even if we only meet half of our projected
profits this is an increase of 1000%.
By parenting Intelection, a company has the chance to revitalize the voting system
of the United States; a system that is in dire need of new voting machines that are at
today’s level of technology.
Our needs:
13 million dollars
Around 5 years to start turning a profit
Benefits:
Possibility of making well over 40 billion dollars in profit
Having your name on the voting machine that revolutionizes voting
Companies that have shown an interest:
Johnson and Johnson
General Electric
Microsoft
Old Dominion University
51
Resources
Management requires (1) mid-grade desktop computer.
Customer Relations requires (2) low-grade desktops, (1) mid-grade server, and (1) midgrade laptop computer.
The Engineering department requires (7) high-grade desktops and (1) high-grade server.
Software Design department requires (10) high-grade desktops and (1) high-grade server.
The Quality Assurance department requires (4) mid-grade desktops and (1) low-grade
server.
Domain Name for (5) years
Old Dominion University will provide office space. Intelection team requires enough
space and office furniture for the previous departments.
52
About the Authors
Jeremy Williams Project Manager
Jeremy received a Master of Engineering Management from the University of Miami in
1999. He is also the Vice Chairman of the Market Services Subcommittee of the
International Affairs. Jeremy is also a registered Professional Engineer in 32 states. His
recent awards include Best Student Paper-IEEE Southeast Conference Student Paper
Contest, 1998. In his free time, Jeremy enjoys sailing, golf, and international travel.
Mathew Jackson Marketing Director
Mathew received a Master of Engineering Management from the University of Hawaii at
Manoa in 1999. He is the 2000 recipient of the National ASCE Edmund Friedman
Young Engineer Award for Professional Development. Mathew is a volunteer with the
Math Counts Competition, Virginia Society of Professional Engineers, 1997-present, and
a volunteer with For Arts Sale, Chrysler Museum, 1996-present.
Paul Tuason Hardware Engineering Director
Paul received a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Ohio State
University in 1996. He is currently working towards a Masters degree with an emphasis
in Design and Manufacturing at Old Dominion University. Paul recently left his position
as Design Engineer/Accelerator Division at Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator
Facility to join the Intelection Team.
Jeffrey Woltz Software Engineering Director
53
Jeffrey received a Master of Science in Computer Science from the University of
Virginia in 2000. He is currently involved in the Artificial Intelligence PhD program at
Old Dominion University. In his spare time, Jeff enjoys his role as a Big Brother with
Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Tidewater, 1996-present.
Andrew Niepraschk Research & University Coordinator
Andrew received a Masters degree in Electrical Engineering from Old Dominion
University in 1996. He went on to achieve a PhD in Electrical Engineering from Old
Dominion University in 1999. Andy is an Assistant Professor of Computer Science at
Old Dominion University where he has started a pilot program to coordinate various
subtasks for Intelection with his undergraduate students. He is a member of the National
Engineering Honor Society, Engineers club of Hampton Roads, and the Society of
American Military Engineers.
Adrian Carr Design Engineer, Webmaster
Adrian received a Masters degree in Computer Engineering from the University of Miami
in 1999. He is a registered Professional Engineer in Virginia, Maryland, and Florida.
Adrian is a member of the Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society, and the American
Society of Engineers. Adrian was the recipient of the Engineers Club of Hampton Roads
Outstanding Engineering Achievement Award for Excellence in Software Design. In his
free time, Adrian enjoys reading, golf, tennis, and web design.
54
Definitions of Frequently Used Terms
This section lists the terms and phrases which are commonly found throughout the
document, and describes the meaning behind those terms.
The key words "MUST", "MUST NOT", "REQUIRED", "SHALL", "SHALL NOT",
"SHOULD", "SHOULD NOT", "RECOMMENDED", "MAY", and
"OPTIONAL" in
this document are to be interpreted as described in RFC 2119.
Ballot – This refers to the method of submitting a vote. This may be a physical, or nonphysical ballot, as is the case with a network ballot. In the scope of this document, a
ballot can take the form of punch-card ballot, optical ballot, or network ballot.
Clean Ballot – A ballot upon which a voter has not yet advertised a decision.
Marked Ballot – A ballot upon which a voter has already advertised a decision.
Punch-card ballot – The technique of using a stencil to push through a (usually preindented) ballot to advertise a decision that is later tallied. The action of pushing the
stencil through the punch-card ballot usually produces a chad.
Chad – The small fleck of paper that is punched out of the punch card when a decision is
advertised on the ballot.
Optical ballot – The technique of “inking” in a circle on a ballot to mark a decision that is
later tallied. Students and parents of students who take standardized tests may hear
optical ballots referred to as “scan-tron” ballots.
Precinct – This is a location that is pre-designated by the local government as the location
at which registered voters shall meet and cast their votes during an election
Traditional voting – This method of voting involves voters meeting at a precinct, having
their identity verified by hand, casting their vote by means of a physical ballot, and
having their vote physically tallied, either by hand or machine.
Network ballot – This is a non-physical ballot that traverses over digital networks, rather
than through human hands. The network ballot advertises a decision in much the same
way that advertises a vote
Internet voting – This method of voting is still in development. The method involves
voters logging onto the Internet, having their identity electronically verified by SSN or
voter registration number, and casting their vote by means of a network ballot. The ballot
must be encrypted at the voter’s end and decrypted at the government end, since the
network ballot traverses public domain over the Internet.
SQL – Structured Query Language. This refers to the language used by a database to
manipulate and view the data it contains.
55
PostgreSQL – This is a database licensed under the GNU copyleft and is free of charge.
Table – The primary organizational unit for a database. All data is stored in a table.
Key – All data in a table must be distinguishable from other data. A key is a unique
value that identifies each entry.
Integrity constraint – The idea that all data in a table must be distinguishable from other
data.
Schema – The general makeup of a database. It consists of tables and keys.
State database –The electronic list that each state government owns of all registered
voters’ names, and their voter registration numbers (which may in some cases be their
SSN). The format (SQL, Oracle, object-oriented) may be varied.
Local database – The electronic list of registered voters and their voter registration
numbers (which may in some cases be their SSN) housed by Intelection. The local
database is unique to each precinct, and contains the registered voters for only that
precinct.
Card-Swipe Machine – This product is a single facet of Intelection. The card-swipe
machine is responsible for verifying that a person’s identity, verifying his or her identity
against a local database, and that they have not yet voted. When a person passes those
conditions, the card-swipe machine distributes a clean ballot to the voter, to be used by
the voting booth.
Voting Booth – This product is a single facet of Intelection. The voting booth receives a
clean ballot from the voter and displays the interface to be used by the voter on a touchscreen monitor. The monitor gives the voter his or her choices, allows them to make their
choice, and then allows the voter to verify his or her choice. Once the choice is verified,
it is committed to the ballot, and the next choice is presented. Once all the choices have
been made, the voter shall receive the ballot from the voting booth, to be tallied by the
government.
Marksense voting – The type of voting machine which relies on mechanisms such as
push-down buttons and lever pulls in order to advertise a choice on a ballot. The
machine is responsible for tallying its votes. No traditional ballot exists, only a tally for
the votes.
Direct recording voting – This refers to the electronic storage of ballots, rather than a
physical ballot.
56
Federal Election Committee – Formerly referred to as the General Accounting Offices
Office of Federal Election, this committee is charged with establishing the standards and
operational guidelines of voting machines.
57
Interviews
Interview with Mike Overstreet
It was more of a listen session than an interview as Dr. Overstreet offered more
answers than I had questions. He was very helpful in explaining some of the early
history of voting especially early evidence of cheating. He explained how archeologists
have found how people in real early civilizations votes by making marks on broken
pieces of pottery. He also explained how they found evidence of vote tampering
specifically ballot stuffing.
Interview with Linda Lavendar
Mrs. Lavendar gave a lot of helpful information about the product. At one point
our marketing team had thought of using the hardware for other purposes during the long
sit time between elections. Her reply to this idea was this would bring up the thought of
tampering. Linda vividly loved the touch screen idea. She talked about the first use of
the touch screens at Sears. She spoke on how the users were frightened at first, but once
they used the system it became a lot easier than the previous human interface. She also
spoke on the proper hardware we would need and offered some ideas on how to acquire
the proper equipment and keep costs down using Citrix. This was later decided to not be
cost effective.
Interview with Steve Haynes and Ralph Rodgers
Steve and Ralph both had their own opinions on the direction voting should be
taken. Steve believed that voting should not be made too simple or people will come to
vote that have no interest in the candidates and thus swinging elections. Ralph feels that
no matter a person’s intent they should be allowed their one vote. Steve believes in the
KIS (Keep It Simple) principle. He thought that added complexity of touch screens,
networks, databases, and tabulators would just add to the possibility of a computer
malfunction. Ralph gave some great advice on the use of ROM to store the program for
the machine. He noted that hard drives tend to have a bad shelf life and do not like to be
stored for years between uses.
58
Survey Results
In a 12-question survey of 200 students at ODU, three things became apparent.
First, touch-screen voting is preferred over all other modes of voting. On a scale of 1 to
10 (1 being less confusing than current, 10 being more confusing) touch-screen voting
rated at 3.7.
Second, identification is not as integral a part of voting as it should be. 20.7% of our
respondents were not asked for any form of ID. Any time identification requirements
loosen, the ability to cheat increases greatly.
Third, confirmation would be very well received among voters. On a scale of 1 to 10 (1
being less comfortable than current, 10 being more) the survey results came in at a
whopping 8.92. This was a number Intelection was very proud of, since it verified every
assumption we had made to that point.
1: Did you vote in the last election?
83 yes, 77 no = 51.9% yes, 48.1% no
2: Did you find your last election to be confusing?
17 yes, 80 no = 17.5% yes, 82.5% no
3: last time you voted, how long did it take to vote?
1490.8 / 100 = 14 min 54 sec avg
4: what part of the voting process took the longest?
14.3% registering,verifying / 42.9% waiting in line / 42.9% reading,selecting
5: Were you asked for an ID last time you voted?
75 yes, 20 no = 78.9% yes, 21.1% no
6: would you feel more comfortable knowing your name was submitted with
who you voted for?
43 yes, 59 no = 42.2% yes, 57.8% no
7: I think having a touch screen will make voting more/less confusing:
559 / 145 = 3.86 avg
8: I would feel more/less confident in my vote counting if the ballot had no
perforated holes to start with:
342 / 47 = 7.28 avg
9: I feel more/less comfortable with being asked for confirmation:
1198 / 142 = 8.44 avg
10: do you think that cheating occured in the last election?
89 yes, 49 no = 64.5% yes, 35.5% no
11: do you feel you could have voted more than once in the last election?
41 yes, 92 no = 30.8% yes, 69.2% no
12: what party are you with?
50 dems, 42 reps, 31 indeps = 40.7% dem, 34.1% rep, 25.2% indep
59
VOTING SYSTEMS USED IN VIRGINIA
The following tabulation sets forth, for each county and city, the type of voting
system in use for the state of Virginia. Abbreviations are used to denote the
various voting systems as follows:
ACCU-VOTE = Global Election Systems, (marksense tabulator). —
AVC = Sequoia Pacific AVC Advantage, (direct recording electronic, DRE).
AVM-RS = Automatic Voting Machine, (mechanical) printer, removable selectors.
AVM-NS = Automatic Voting Machine, (mechanical) printer, non-removable selectors.
AVM-NP = Automatic Voting Machine, (mechanical) non-printer, non-removable
selectors.
OPTECH IIIPE = BRC Election Services Division, (marksense tabulator). —
PBC-3 = BRC Election Services Division, (punch card tabulator with ballot bag). —
PBC-IIID = BRC Election Services Division, (punch card tabulator without ballot bag). —
IES = International Elections Systems Shoup, (mechanical).
RFS = R.F. Shoup, (mechanical).
1242 = R.F. Shoup Shouptronic 1242, (direct recording electronic, DRE).
— Number preceding slash indicates number of ballot tabulators; number
following slash indicates number of votomatic booths.
MECHANICAL/DRE/OPTICAL SCAN
PAPER
VOTING SYSTEMS
BALLOTS
Localities
Type Used
# Precincts
# Units
# Precincts
Using
In Use
Using
Counties:
Accomack
AVM-NS
13
27
1
AVM-RS
7
8
Albemarle
AVC
22
70
*0
OPTECH IIIPE
*0
1/2
Alleghany
AVM-RS
10
16
0
Amelia
IES
5
14
0
Amherst
IES
10
27
*0
OPTECH IIIPE
*0
1/0
AVM-NS
5
11
0
Appomattox
AVM-RS
4
4
Arlington
1242
*41
175
0
60
Augusta
Bath
Bedford
Bland
Botetourt
Brunswick
Buchanan
Buckingham
Campbell
Caroline
Carroll
Charles City
Charlotte
Chesterfield
Clarke
Craig
Culpeper
Cumberland
Dickenson
Dinwiddie
Essex
Fairfax
Fauquier
Floyd
Fluvanna
Franklin
Frederick
Giles
Gloucester
Goochland
PBC-IIID
AVM-NS
AVM-RS
AVM-NP
AVM-NS
AVM-RS
AVM-NS
AVM-RS
AVM-NS
AVM-RS
OPTECH III-P
AVM-NS
AVM-RS
RFS
AVM-NS
AVM-RS
IES
IES
RFS
AVM-RS
PBC-IIID
IES
IES
AVM-NS
AVM-RS
AVM-NS
IES
RFS
IES
1242
ACCU-VOTE
ACCU-VOTE
AVM-RS
IES
RFS
IES
ACCU-VOTE
AVM-NP
AVM-NS
AVM-RS
IES
*0
20
12
5
22
9
5
1
12
3
13
17
3
9
16
2
6
19
3
12
*61
7
5
9
4
6
13
13
4
199
*0
*16
5
5
22
12
*0
11
8
8
7
2/0
28
23
11
38
11
7
1
21
10
14/37
30
4
13
45
4
22
27
7
17
63/412
13
16
22
4
11
22
22
8
789
12
20/75
12
16
46
42
1/1
19
19
11
21
*0
3
*1
1
*1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
4
0
0
*0
0
0
0
0
0
0
*0
0
0
0
0
61
Grayson
Greene
Greensville
Halifax
Hanover
Henrico
Henry
Highland
Isle of Wight
James City
King & Queen
King George
King William
Lancaster
Lee
Loudoun
Louisa
Lunenburg
Madison
Mathews
Mecklenburg
Middlesex
Montgomery
Nelson
New Kent
Northampton
Northumberland
Nottoway
Orange
Page
Patrick
Pittsylvania
Powhatan
Prince Edward
Prince George
IES
AVM-NS
AVC
AVM-NS
AVM-RS
IES
OPTECH IIIPE
PBC-IIID
AVM-NS
AVM-RS
ACCU-VOTE
None
ACCU-VOTE
ACCU-VOTE
IES
ACCU-VOTE
ACCU-VOTE
ACCU-VOTE
IES
ACCU-VOTE
IES
ACCU-VOTE
AVM-NS
AVM-NS
AVM-RS
AVM-RS
AVM-NS
RFS
ACCU-VOTE
PBC-3
AVM-NS
ACCU-VOTE
AVM-NS
AVM-NS
AVM-RS
OPTECH IIIPE
AVM-NS
AVM-NS
IES
AVM-RS
ACCU-VOTE
15
4
9
6
15
25
*0
*90
12
10
*0
0
11
*9
5
5
6
*6
19
*31
14
11
7
2
3
22
7
21
7
8
6
7
9
4
4
5
14
31
7
9
*9
21
11
13
18
21
88
2/0
94/750
37
13
1/3
0
13/43
12/70
10
5/20
7/20
7/19
33
38/200
22
12/22
10
2
9
30
11
63
8/15
10/30
15
8/20
16
8
11
6/29
19
54
20
20
10/45
0
0
0
*0
0
0
0
9
0
0
0
0
0
0
*0
0
0
0
2
0
3
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
*0
0
0
0
62
Prince William
Pulaski
Rappahannock
Richmond
Roanoke
Rockbridge
Rockingham
Russell
Scott
Shenandoah
Smyth
Southampton
Spotsylvania
Stafford
Surry
Sussex
Tazewell
Warren
Washington
Westmoreland
Wise
Wythe
York
Cities:
Alexandria
Bedford
Bristol
Buena Vista
Charlottesville
Chesapeake
Clifton Forge
Colonial Heights
Covington
AVM-NS
AVM-RS
OPTECH IIIPE
AVM-RS
ACCU-VOTE
RFS
IES
ACCU-VOTE
AVM-NS
AVM-RS
ACCU-VOTE
AVM-NS
AVM-RS
AVM-NS
ACCU-VOTE
AVM-NP
ACCU-VOTE
IES
OPTECH IIIPE
ACCU-VOTE
IES
AVM-NS
AVM-NS
AVM-RS
AVM-NS
AVM-NS
OPTECH III-P
AVM-RS
AVM-NS
OPTECH IIIPE
ACCU-VOTE
49
7
*0
12
6
7
31
*0
14
2
23*
12
6
17
15
14
13
11
*4
*20
7
11
23
1
11
17
*0
6
12
*13
*13
211
26
4/0
28
6/11
8
87
2/0
16
2
26/60
20
11
26
16/48
33
14/34
64
8/88
23/125
10
16
46
3
32
38
1
16
36
15/38
15/77
0
*0
0
*0
0
*0
ACCU-VOTE
AVM-NS
ACCU-VOTE
AVM-NS
PBC-IIID
PBC-IIID
AVM-NS
ACCU-VOTE
AVM-NS
*24
2
*4
2
*8
*45
2
*5
5
27/235
5
6/25
5
11/58
46/195
5
7/25
11
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
*0
0
0
0
*0
0
0
63
Danville
Emporia
Fairfax
Falls Church
Franklin
Fredericksburg
Galax
Hampton
Harrisonburg
Hopewell
Lexington
Lynchburg
Manassas
Manassas Park
Martinsville
Newport News
Norfolk
Norton
Petersburg
Poquoson
Portsmouth
Radford
Richmond
Roanoke
Salem
Staunton
Suffolk
Virginia Beach
Waynesboro
Williamsburg
Winchester
AVM-NS
ACCU-VOTE
AVC
1242
ACCU-VOTE
ACCU-VOTE
OPTECH IIIPE
IES
ACCU-VOTE
ACCU-VOTE
AVM-NS
AVM-RS
ACCU-VOTE
AVM-RS
ACCU-VOTE
AVM-NS
ACCU-VOTE
ACCU-VOTE
PBC-3
ACCU-VOTE
IES
ACCU-VOTE
ACCU-VOTE
IES
IES
OPTECH III-P
IES
ACCU-VOTE
IES
OPTECH IIIPE
AVC
AVC
PBC-3
PBC-IIID
AVC
AVM-NS
AVM-RS
IES
17
*0
5
*6
5
6
*4
3
*30
*4
7
2
*17
4
*0
1
*6
42
*61
2
14
3
*30
3
*72
*0
32
*0
10
*0
5
19
*35
30
4
1
1
5
43
1/0
7
20
6/18
6/16
6/25
6
36/200
6/35
24
5
20/100
21
2/0
5
7/25
50/225
69/300
3/5
39
3/18
32/214
13
230
1
102
2
27
1/0
19
64
70/635
27/
16
5
3
17
0
0
*0
*0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
*0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
*0
*0
*0
0
*0
*0
*0
64
Functional Diagram
65
PERT CHART
66
PERT CHART
67
Organizational Model
68
Work Breakdown Structure
69
70